Adaptation
by BillA1
Summary: Synopsis: After “Wild Cards,” Shayera has a small problem.


ADAPTATION by BILLA1  
February 2005

Disclaimer: The characters Batman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Superman Flash their respective secret identities are all owned by DC Comics. This story is intended for my own pleasure and is not for profit. It has been posted to this site for others to read. Places and characters not own by DC Comics are my own creation. This story is based on characters from The Justice League story "Wild Cards" written by Stan Berkowitz Dwayne McDuffie. Thanks to Merlin Missy for her beta on this story.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
****ADAPTATION  
**Rating: (PG-13)  
Synopsis: After "Wild Cards," Shayera has a small problem.  
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_Shayera – We're so different. I mean, look at us. Just look at us.  
__John – I see a man and a woman. – Wild Cards  
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Thirty-Six hours after that conversation.  
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They had a date. John had knocked on the door to her quarters twice but there had been no answer. He had intended to take Shayera down to the planet's surface and show her how to fly a kite. Now he was a little concerned because she hadn't answered the door.

He pressed his commlink and spoke, trying not to convey too much anxiety in his voice.

"Hawkgirl, are you okay?"

He was relieved to finally hear her voice after some anxious moments but was surprised as she replied, "Go away!"

He answered back on the commlink, "Not until I make sure you're all right."

"Lantern! I… said… go… away!" She paused and then he heard her groan, "Ohhh. Damn. _Nugjat__ Maj_!"

He didn't understand all of what she had just said but he understood the expletive 'damn' very well and the tone she used made him think she was in distress. "Shayera?" he yelled.

Using his ring he zapped the lock on the door and rushed into her room. He didn't see her immediately but he saw her mask and an empty glass on the night table next to her bed. He called out again, "Shayera, where are you?" From the bathroom he heard a very weak response, "In… here, you green eyed _sosi'hab_."

_Sosi'hab__? What the hell is a sosi'hab_?

He rushed to the bathroom and found her on her knees leaning over the commode. Her hair was pinned up in a loose bun atop her head and the tank top she was wearing was wet with perspiration.

_Uh - oh._ _Ralph_.

It was clear to him that she had been doing what his old Marine buddies used to call paying the bill collector when they had too much to drink. The collector was named, 'Ralph' and his payment was always made in a commode, _if_ you were fortunate, or embarrassingly elsewhere if you weren't. And apparently she had been paying "Ralph" for some time. _But she can hold her liquor. _

"Are you okay?" he asked. He knew it was a dumb question right away and knew she would quickly confirm just how dumb it was.

She looked up at him and scowled. "Just how stupid are you? Did you ever see anyone in this position, doing what I'm doing, tell you they were okay? No, I'm not okay, dammit! You…you _sosi'hab_!"

He shrugged his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck with his ring hand. "I'm sorry you're not well. Can I get you anything?"

She glared at him in a way that made his blood freeze. "You've done enough, you _biljat'yimen_."

He stepped back. His mind was racing. _What do you mean I've done enough?_ _What did I do? And why is she calling me these names I don't understand?_ His jaw dropped as he had a realization._ Oh. Crap!_

Suddenly, she turned her head back into the commode and whimpered, "Ohhhh, _Nugjat__ Maj_!" Then she took a deep breath and exclaimed, "I'll kill you for this you green-eyed _sosi'hab_. You son of a bit…" She didn't finish her sentence before "Ralph" demanded payment again. John turned his head and walked out of the bathroom.

This was unexpected.

He went to the night table next to her bed and retrieved the empty glass and returned to the bathroom. He found her sitting on her knees in front of the commode. She didn't look at him but she was muttering under her breath and he was afraid to ask her what she was saying. He was, however, fairly confident that she wasn't praying – at least not for his long life.

He turned the water on in the sink, let it run for a moment, and then filled her glass. He gave her the glass of water and she frowned as she took it from him. She took a swig of water and rinsed her mouth out. She then gave him back the glass and he set it on the sink counter next to her.

So many questions he wanted to ask but he had to think of one that would not get him a kick in the groin for an answer. That was his dilemma. Finally, he decided that no matter what question he asked, she was going to inflict pain on him at the first opportunity. He would wait until she was "preoccupied" before he asked the big question. He didn't have to wait long. When she suddenly groaned and leaned over the commode again he asked, "Are you pregnant?"

It was then that he discovered two things about Thanagarians he would take to his grave: they could use their wings for other things besides flying, and feathers _hurt_. Without looking up she rapidly slapped him twice in the face with her wing. She probably would have hit him more except he tossed up an energy shield to protect himself.

She reached for the glass of water on the sink counter. After rinsing her mouth out again and setting the glass back on the counter, she leaned back and scowled. "No," she hissed. "I'm not pregnant."

John tried to hide his very audible sigh of relief. He refilled her water glass and set it on the counter as she then added, "I'm adapting." She paused and then hit him with her wing again. "Damn you, John Stewart. You _biljat'yimen__!"_

"Stop… hitting… me!" he yelled. "I mean, if you're not pregnant, how is this my fault?" he howled as he put his arms up to protect himself.

"It's your fault because of the other night. Now I'm adjusting…adapting and that's your fault thank you very much, you Korschian slug. Here. Help me up," she said offering her hand to him. He hesitantly grabbed the outstretched hand and helped her stand.

She turned the water on in the sink and splashed some on her face. She then repeatedly poked her fingers in his chest as she growled, "I've been at that toilet for four hours. Four _cha'nas_ hours."

"Look, I'm sorry but what did I do? I mean, how can I help? I don't understand any of this," he replied, shaking his head. He was frustrated and now wished that she _was_ pregnant. At least he would know why her crankiness was his fault.

She stopped poking him with her finger and just stared at him. John immediately started to wilt under her glare. She then put the seat and lid down on the toilet and started to sit. And then as if she thought better of it said, "No. I've been in here long enough." She walked out of the bathroom and John followed. She sat down on the edge of her bed. John started to sit next to her.

"You sit over there," she snapped at him pointing to a chair in the corner of her quarters. John, sheepishly, sat in the chair in the corner.

"Okay, Shayera. What's this all about? Please. Tell me what I did."

She cupped her hands in her lap and said softly, "I've been on this planet too long. And then I," she paused as if searching for the right word. "Mated," she continued, "with a non-Thanagarian. Now my body is changing."

She stared at him hard. "Painfully I might add." Taking a deep breath she continued, "Some Thanagarian genes are going dormant until I can mate with another Thanagarian. In other words, you _biljat'yimen_, I'm changing so I can have a human's child. That's how this is your fault, John. Damn you very much."

John's eyes widened. "Your people do that? Change like that?"

She clutched at her stomach. "The females can…if isolated long enough. Look. I can't explain. It happens. It allows for species survival because some incompatible genes go dormant but are transferred to the offspring and then reappear if the offspring mates with another Thanagarian."

"Oh," he answered knowing that it was a weak response to what she had just told him. "Did you know it would happen to you?"

"No, I didn't know. I knew it _could_ happen but I didn't know it _would_ happen," she snapped back. Then her tone softened. "But the other night I was willing to risk it." She was silent for a moment and then growled, "But don't you ever ask me if I'd do it again."

He smiled weakly. "I'm sorry. Any idea how long this will take? I mean is there anything I can do? Can I get you anything?"

She shook her head. "I don't need anything _else_ from you…you…no. Wait. You can stand my watch tomorrow and fix my door today. That will be the start of your payback."

John stood up and moved toward the door. "I'll take your watch tomorrow and I'll get your door fixed."

As he opened the door he said, "Shayera? How long will I be paying for this?" He then scratched his head and added, "Curious minds want to know."

"How long do you think you'll live if I don't kill you in the next fifteen seconds?" she answered as she put her hand on her stomach again.

"Oh," he replied. He paused and lowered his head. "It'll be that long, huh?"

"Yeah, John," she groaned as she hurried back to the bathroom. "It'll be that long."

END


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